Wetskills-Tanzania 2026 – Blog 12
Today began with the finals of the Wetskills Challenge, where all four teams presented their innovative solutions in two-minute pitches. With the judges seated and ready to engage, each team had an opportunity to communicate its ideas, demonstrate the value of its proposed solutions, and respond to questions from the judges, who had eight minutes each to ask questions and explore the teams’ proposals further.
Today was a remarkable day at Wetskills Tanzania, filled with innovation, teamwork, learning, cultural exploration, and celebration.
Following the pitches, the teams presented their posters, offering another opportunity to showcase their ideas and explain the thinking behind their proposed solutions. It was encouraging to see the creativity, effort, and dedication that each team had invested in addressing water-related challenges. All four teams were commended for their efforts and presentations, making the experience a valuable moment of learning and achievement for everyone involved.
After the presentations, participants headed to their selected field-trip destinations across Arusha. The options included the Maasai Market, Thelma River, and Cultural Heritage. These visits offered opportunities to explore different aspects of the local environment, culture, and heritage while enjoying a change of pace after the intense challenge presentations.
The day concluded with a glamorous gala dinner, where participants arrived beautifully dressed for an evening of celebration. Beyond the elegant outfits and wonderful atmosphere, the dinner provided an opportunity to recognise achievements and celebrate the hard work, creativity, and collaboration demonstrated throughout the Wetskills Challenge. The awards were presented, marking a fitting conclusion to an event centred on innovation, knowledge exchange, and teamwork.
The biggest announcement of the night was the winner of the Wetskills Tanzania Challenge: the “Halting the Salt” team won! Their solution to saltwater intrusion caused by overpumping, the SaltiStop AquiferGuard System, impressed the judges and took the top spot among four excellent teams. Congratulations to the whole team on this well-deserved win!
Wetskills Tanzania has been a reminder that meaningful solutions emerge when people from different backgrounds come together, share knowledge, challenge assumptions, and work towards a common goal.
One of the evening’s proudest moments came when Simphiwe Skhonde won the Outstanding Oral Presentation award in the “Changing hydro-climatic regimes and planning tools for climate resilient development pathways” sub-theme at the 27th WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium, held in Arusha. Congratulations on a well-deserved win in her category!
Another proud moment came in the poster presentation category, where Ronald Mashamba was awarded 1st Runner-Up Young Water Scientist at the 27th WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium for his poster, “Spatiotemporal variation in macroplastic abundances along a subtropical Austral river system.” Congratulations, Ronald!
Looking back, today was more than just the end of a challenge. It was a celebration of ideas, shared experiences, new connections, and the collective commitment to finding innovative solutions to water challenges.
#WetskillsTanzania #WaterInnovation #WaterSolutions #Teamwork #SustainableWater #Arusha #YouthInnovation
AquaConnect Africa and Agrisenser beside their posters during the Wetskills Tanzania Challenge.
Participants exchanging ideas and discussing the teams’ proposed water solutions during the poster presentations.
The Halting the Salt team, winners of the Wetskills Tanzania Challenge.
Simphiwe Skhonde celebrating her Outstanding Oral Presentation award at the gala dinner.
Ronald Mashamba with his 1st Runner-Up Young Water Scientist certificate (Poster Presentation Category).
